2011 Sponsors:

Calgary Small Business Week 2011 is a celebration of entrepreneurship that provides a one-stop shop event for starting and growing small business.The features of this event include a tradeshow, keynote luncheon speakers and an Awards Celebration to recognize the winners of the RBC Small Business of the Year and the Emerging Enterprise of the Year awards.

2011 Small Business Week runs October 17 – 21.

We have two events that week, including the Awards Reception and the Small Business Week Business After Hours. Both can be registered for by clicking here.

We are gathering all information from across the city so small business owners and operators can choose what event and activities to participate in, visit http://www.facebook.com/SBWYYC to see news, events and activities during 2011 Small Business Week in Calgary. Don't forget to 'like' this page and share with your colleagues and business partners.

Since 1982 the Calgary Chamber of Commerce has presented the prestigious RBC Small Business of the Year Award to local business owners. In 1998 the Emerging Enterprise of the Year Award was added to celebrate new, up-and-coming small businesses. In 2011 the Chamber will present a new series of awards, which are an expansion of the criteria used to judge the RBC Small Business of the Year Award.

RBC Small Business of the Year Award

Every small business nominated will be judged on all 5 categories (below), and the small business judged to be best representing all 5 categories will be awarded the 2011 RBC Small Business of the Year Award.

Financial Performance Award

Presented to the Calgary small business demonstrating the strongest sustained financial performance for the past 3 years, with additional

consideration given for business plans outlining continued growth and financial excellence.

Rogers Innovation Award

Presented to the Calgary small business demonstrating the highest level of innovation in its offering of goods or services.

Customer Service Excellence Award

Presented to the Calgary small business demonstrating a commitment to customer service excellence through training and/or a specific service program.

Community Involvement Award

Presented to the Calgary small business whose owners and/or employees are involved in community groups (charitable, not-for-profit, business or professional associations), and who have demonstrated a commitment to improving their community through their generosity of time and resources.

TD Environmental Stewardship Award

Presented to the Calgary Small business who has demonstrated a commitment to leading environmental stewardship through improving its operations and limiting its environmental footprint, and the environmental footprint of its suppliers and clients.

Emerging Enterprise of the Year Award

Since 1998 the Calgary Chamber of Commerce has been presenting this esteemed honour to a local emerging business. To be eligible, the nominee must be an Alberta resident owner-manager and the business must be in operation less than three years, located in Calgary, and employ 10 or less people. The awards are presented annually during the Calgary Small Business Week.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR NOMINATION FORM!

Please submitt all nomination forms to Anna Stacheychuk astacheychuk@calgarychamber.com

SIGNATURE SMALL BUSINESS WEEK EVENTS

Small Business Week Gala Reception

This was a celebration of the seven awards. The gala evening included a champagne reception and dazzling meal.

Business After Hours

The monthly Business After Hours is the Chamber's premier networking event. The BAH during Small Business Week is always one of the best attended, with many booth and many visitors.

2011 Finalists:

Calgary Child Magazine:

Calgary’s Child Magazine is a proven success story. Seventeen years ago, it filled a need in the community and provided a service that did not exist. Prior to the inception of the publication, medical experts, support and service providers weren’t able to connect with families in need of support and resources, and families in need could not find the services that would help them and their growing families.

Calgary’s Child readers, advertisers and service providers depend on this publication as a vital link between themselves and their community. Local media (television, radio, print) turn to Calgary’s Child as the expert in Calgary on all things family and parenting. The publication provides Calgary families with the support, guidance, reassurance, information, strategies, and referrals that parents need to feel in their parenting skills.

Sure Systems:

Incorporated in 2003, with 12 employees based in Calgary, Sure Systems is a leading provider of Information Technology (IT) consulting and management services in Calgary. Sure Systems specializes in providing IT services to small and medium sized organizations that may be looking for help with their technology environment due to recent growth, complexity, insufficient staffing or lack of knowledge. Their understanding of the needs of smaller organizations, gained through our experience of working almost exclusively with this sized company, allows us to target the technologies that will enhance your business without adding layers of complexity.

TRECC:

TRECC Electric has been in operation for almost 16 years, with 55 employees based in Calgary, and have amassed great knowledge and expertise in residential electrical wiring as it is the one and only focus of their business. 

In the past TRECC Electric has completed as much as 24% of ALL new single family home wiring in Calgary based on the permits issued (in 2006 we completed 2295 homes out of approximately 9500 Calgary starts).

The company’s owner personally checks many, if not all of the jobs to maintain our quality control. Each phase of every job is also checked by the crew leader for quality and completeness, with completion/deficiency and safety evaluation forms handed in at the end of each project stage. Their awards wall confirms that all this extra work is well worth the effort.

Vodigo:

Vodigo is a true "Technology Partner" focused exclusively on customer needs, system performance and system evolution. They specialize in converged voice and data communication solutions to address business needs today and sustain you into the future.

Vodigo carries a comprehensive suite of products and services including Avaya, ShoreTel, Juniper, LifeSize and SecureLogix communication systems to build systems and solutions to meet each customer’s unique needs. Vodigo’s fully certified team engineers, designs, implements and supports your system to ensure that your business needs are met.

William Joseph Communications:

Incorporated in 2002, with 19 employees in Calgary, William Joseph Communications is an integrated, brand-building agency. They pride themselves on a savvy strategic planning process, stunning creative and swift implementation.

William Joseph helps clients tell stories that have energy and purpose in a fearless quest to create meaning in the world. They engineer understanding and action believing in transparency and honest collaboration. Through experience, they understand that good ideas don’t come easy; but also know that play is a necessary ingredient of the creative process. William Joseph are not consultants who will partner with clients to help them simply get where they want to go - they are transporters of insight who will take our clients to places they never thought possible.

Wingenback:

Wingenback Inc. is a Canadian company that specializes in industrial and commercial moving and manufacturing of surrounds and kiosks for ATMs and related products.

Today, Wingenback is one of the leading providers of custom ATM products in North America. While we’ve remained true to our roots in financial services, over the years Wingenback has grown to serve a number of other industries including petroleum retailers and mass merchandisers. Wingenback has become an industry leader in developing new products, adopting new production techniques and introducing best of class designs.

A fundamental element behind our success over the years has been their “yes we can” approach. Their ability to listen to our customers and develop a product or service that meets their requirements is as important today as it was the day we started, more than 34 years ago.

JOI Media:

JOI Media is a creative agency that is dedicated to delivering revolutionary user experiences. They specialize in four key areas: Branding, Design, Web and Print. JOI works with clients to leverage the latest technologies and trends as a means to communicate with their audience including social media and mobile phone applications. As a creative agency, their role is to formulate unique strategies that are fresh and “outside the box.”

Whether a project requires print of web, JOI provides an end result that is tailored to help a specific company objective striving for the greatest return on investment. Market research, competitor and industry analysis, and client knowledge are all required for JOI media to propose new and exciting ways to reach target audiences.

Xcel Professional Services:

Incorporated in 2009, with seven employees in Calgary, XCEL Professional Services is a total IT solutions provider.  They strive to provide any service which relates to technology.  XCEL wants to be your "one-stop" shop for technology needs, and as such is capable of supplying you with anything from a professional database driven website, to providing you with the required IT Policies and Procedures to assist in passing your IT regulatory controls.

XCEL provides cost effective IT solutions to the Calgary business market.  Although they are fascinated by new technology, XCEL holds the best interests of clients at heart.  They believe in delivering the right solution to clients, not the one that will make the most profit.

XCEL strives to deliver IT solutions that will make all your staff take notice at the vast improvement in performance and reliability.  Our goal is to build staff confidence in your network system, and let everyone at your business do the job they were intended to do - which in turn will make your business more effective, and profitable.

Osman Anwar Prof Corp (Harvest Dental Care):

Harvest Dental Care’s mission is to provide quality dental care in a modern environment with careful attention to detail and deep personal respect. Offering the full suite of dental services and surgeries, their innovative approach refocuses on a traditional model of the doctor-patient relationship and customer service. In particular, educating clients about what is best for their dental health and giving various options for the best treatment. Harvest also takes special interest in helping the fearful or sensitive patient, who may have had difficulty before, and may be avoiding dental treatment due to a past negative experience.

For more information, please visit our Small Business Week FAQs or contact our Events Department. For sponsorship information, please contact Anna Stacheychuk in the Events department at 750-0432.